


The Things We've Suffered

by satanic_panic



Category: IT - Stephen King
Genre: Emotional/Psychological Abuse, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-23
Updated: 2019-10-23
Packaged: 2020-12-31 19:06:54
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,100
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21150704
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/satanic_panic/pseuds/satanic_panic
Summary: Eddie finally breaks the cycle of abuse, and goes to the one place he feels safest.





	The Things We've Suffered

Eddie was starting to notice things in his marriage, like how his wife, who was supposed to love and care for him, was pushing him into medication and prescriptions he was absolutely sure he didn't need, he was sure he had nothing wrong with him other than high stress levels - but he could never ask the doctors, as his wife was always there. Speaking  _ for  _ him. Telling the doctors what  _ she  _ thought was wrong. Never letting Eddie have a say… much like his mother. 

He didn't want to believe it, at first, but the more it played on his mind and the more he thought about it, the more he started to realise; he had fallen back into old cycles of abuse that he thought he had long ago dropped and left. He had married his mother. His first abuser. 

She was the only thing he could remember about Derry, but for some reason, whilst he remembered the things she did to him, he couldn't remember anything else - not her voice, the way she looked, anything. He was glad, in a way, that he couldn't remember anything else. 

However, when Eddie finally got it into his head and realised that his wife was, in fact, abusing him, Eddie did the first thing that came to mind: packed his bags, got in his car, and started driving. He was a risk analyst, his job was to make sure that other people didn't have accidents, and usually, he would analyse every single possible risk, even down to a paper cut, but in that moment, he didn't care. 

He just had to get away. 

He had to break the cycle. 

* * *

Hardly concentrating on where he was going, Eddie felt a bittersweet relief wash over him when he pulled up outside an all too familiar house; your house. He sighed heavily, grabbing his bags and walking up to the front door, fist heavy as he pounded on the door. It didn't take long for you to answer, frowning when you saw the tears in his eyes. 

"Eddie?" You muttered, looking at the bags in his arms. "Eddie? What's wrong?" 

Eddie trembled as he stumbled through the door, guided by your hand on his shoulder until he collapsed on the sofa, head in his hands. "I married my mother." 

You sat beside him, furrowing your brows. "What do you mean?" 

Eddie shook his head. "The pills… gazebos…" 

It clicked then, and you frowned, taking his hands in your own, squeezing tightly. "Eds… I'm so sorry…" you looked at his bags, and without even asking, picked one of them up. "Come on, let's get you inside." 

Eddie nodded shakily, picking up his other bags and following you inside, he followed you all the way to the bedroom, and shook his head. "(Y/N), you don't have to… have to give me your room, I-" 

You set down his bag on the sofa-bed and smiled. "Eddie. We used to share a room back at Uni, and if you're comfortable with it, you can… take the sofa bed. Or my bed. Whatever." 

He frowned a little, tilting his head to the side. "Are you sure? I wouldn't wanna impose." 

You shrugged, patting his shoulder. "You're not imposing. Towels are in the cupboard by the bathroom at the top of the stairs, you just gotta press the button and the shower should start - there's a bottle of the shampoo you like on the shelf… force to habit to buy it, y'know?" 

Eddie chuckled, finally cracking a broken and battered smile. "Thanks…" 

You told him it was no big deal, and said that he was more than welcome to make himself comfortable, at home, while you went downstairs and sat at the breakfast bar in order to have a quick cigarette; only a matter of minutes passed before Eddie came trudging down into the kitchen, offering up a small and sad smile. 

You took a drag from your cigarette, ashing it into the ashtray in front of you. "How you feelin', bud?" 

Eddie shrugged, taking the seat beside you and clearing his throat. "I don't know." 

You gently patted his shoulder, doing your absolute best to keep your tongue bitten. "That's okay, you know… I mean, shit like this? It's… it's hard to go through. But, I'm there for you. I'm here. And you can stay for however long you want… I mean, shit, the things we've suffered through together - this is nothing. We can do this." 

"I guess," he sighed. "I just… I don't know what I'm gonna do." 

You nodded. "I know, I know, but… you don't gotta figure any of that out til you're ready. Okay?" 

"Okay." 

* * *

That night, you snuggled into your bed whilst Eddie was in the shower, and you smiled a little to yourself when you heard him singing- back when you used to share a room at university, his quiet singing used to lull you to sleep, but now, after not hearing it for years, you found yourself listening carefully, closely, cheerfully, until he came back into the room wearing nothing other than a pair of ragged grey jogging bottoms. 

"Sleep tight, Edster," you mumbled, snuggling down into your duvet as Eddie curled up on the sofa bed. 

"Night, (y/n)," he yawned, facing away from you; you did your best to sleep, lying there with your eyes shut in silence, but after some unknowable passage of time, you stirred again, disturbed by a hand shaking your shoulder, and Eddie whispering harshly. "(Y/N), wake up, please." 

You groaned, slowly sitting up and blinking through your exhaustion. "Yeah?" 

"I… I don't wanna be alone," he said quietly, a slight pout on his lips. "Can I… can I sleep with you?" 

Nodding, you moved over, and allowed him to slip in beside you. "You could've just gotten in, y'know." 

Eddie grumbled as he made himself comfortable. "Shut up." 

You rolled your eyes, letting a soft laugh fall from your lips. "Make me, asshole." 

He chuckled, shaking his head. "I will if you don't stop talking, dickhead." 

"Says the one talking," you bit back, yelping a little in surprise when Eddie grabbed you and pulled you close to his chest, smiling brightly at you. "Eddie." 

"What?" He shrugged, eyes so dark you could've sworn they were pitch black. 

You decided not to act on the feelings that were ingesting your chest and stomach, making you swallow thickly in an attempt to keep them down. "Go to sleep." 

Looking away suddenly and letting his grip loosen, Eddie cleared his throat. "I would, if you'd shut up." 


End file.
